Each word from Mikel Arteta’s post-fate-fate | Press conference | News

After seeing us beat Fulham 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta was taken to the press room to answer questions from the media.

He was asked about the impact of Bukayo Saka as he caught the winner, as well as the last people on the injury of Gabriel and Jakub Kiwior intensifying among other subjects.

Here is all he had to say:

On the return of Saka:
I think it’s a beautiful moment to see how our people love, respect and admire Bukayo. He is not a surprise for us and I think the best example is his reaction. Immediately after having marked a goal, what does it do? He leaves and said thank you for all the hard work that all the guys, the physios and all the people involved in the recovery have done so that he is in the state he is. I think he has raised the stadium, the energy and it’s great to find him.

On full -time Saka’s emotions:
He was very positive. I think the first (game) is still this one, how will I feel? Because now I have a different opposition before me, different requests and pressure. He treated it very well and the drawback of this is Gabi and Jurrien, we do not know how they are going to be. We will evaluate them tomorrow and understand better how we are with these two.

On the first impressions of Gabriel’s injury:
These are two players from this team who never want to detach themselves. Gabi felt something in his hamstrings, we do not know how big it is and with Jurrien too, he was already fighting very early in the game. He managed to continue and at some point, he could not, so it is the downside.

On Timber’s injury:
Jurrian was the knee.

On the importance of missing wood and Gabriel potentially:
The good thing is that it was like that all season. You see Martinelli today, you say that we are missing three months. You see Bukayo, four months. Jesus, almost all season. How we managed to be where we are with all these injuries. Ben White has not participated at all this season at all, that’s what it is. We want him so much that we will give him a real blow and we are very excited for next week.

On defensive injury problems:
You can imagine, we lost four players in the defensive line in a week – Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien and Gabi Magalhaes. There are still four others, which are so willing that they will do their work.

During the reaction, Saka gave Sam Wilson after marked:
As director, I am one of the staff. We all like this kind of recognition and gestures because it goes beyond its professional side. There is a link that is if necessary and to be able to also appreciate the amount of work, stress and responsibility that they must follow because they will be like that. I hope everything is going well and that the work we have done will work. So I was very satisfied with this.

Learn more

Rice to return Saka: “He’s the man!”

On the importance of the relationship between players and staff:
This is why the emotional part is so important because you can do all the physical work and all the packaging, but you must leave the players. Four months, it’s long and there are times when we travel and we are going to play in the Champions League and you are there for two days, you are alone on the training ground and it is not easy.

On the return of Mikel Merino’s score:
It is good that he has this ability to score goals, feel danger and move in good times in the right spaces. Today was a different goal, but you ask him to play in new and he does it perfectly and understands the timing, the position, the role. So good. It is a joy to have players like this. I thought that Ethan had had very good times. Martinelli was also superb. You see how much he missed, this threat, this offensive goal that he has every time he is on the ball. Some good performances.

On the number of injuries we have met this season:
Especially because there were great players in very, very critical positions and affecting the whole line. But we also have a lot of good news. Look at Mikel, watch Ethan, watch other players do other things. So that’s all.

On the learning experience managing injuries:
You scratch your head. I have the next games the same way. At the same time, it was an excellent learning experience for us and all coaches and staff to manage this situation. At the end, players will react to the way we react. You start to feel sorry for yourself and to say that it is impossible, how we are going to do this, it will be impossible. But these boys do not give you the reason to act like that and to look where we are in April.

On Jakub Kiwior:
The good thing with Jakub is that he was very reliable. Whenever we need him, he is still there, he is available and he does his job. We ask him to play as a left central defender, as a right central defender, as a left back. He’s ready, he has a smile on his face. It’s sad for Gabi but he really wanted to play too and he will be fine.

On the question of whether Kiwior could be ready to note the delivery against Real Madrid:
If you ask in the locker room how much they want to play the next two games and the Real Madrid game, believe me, everyone wants to be on this field.